RARE 1972 ORIG UK PROG SPACE KEYBOARD = MORGAN NOVA SOLIS = ATMOS ADVENTURE

$

32

          RARE 1972 PROG SPACE ADVENTURE!

                                 TOP COPY!

                    MORGAN

                 NOVA  SOLIS

\                                                              ITALY - RCA - LISP 34154

TOP COPY!

RARE and sought after 1972 first pressing housed in a delicate colorful cover of an interesting British keyboard dominated space-prog crew and their best of two albums, released only in Italy

This debut of the obscure prog outfit Morgan is perhaps yet another of the best progressive albums from England that fell under the radar of collectors. The music is very dominated by keyboards, especially the VCS-3, and the talented Morgan Fisher sure knows how to use that thing. And what a precious little gem Roger Taylor and Brian May lost when vocalist Tim Staffell quit "Smile", the pre 'Queen' band. No wonder they picked Freddie to replace him - their voices are very similar. If you are looking for dreamy melodic prog rock in the vein of (early) King Crimson, Genesis, etc., this is NOT what you're after. This is much more complex and inaccessible than any of those bands. Even ELP's Emerson never played this complex music. Fisher is far more talented, and it goes without saying that Tim Staffell is a better singer than Greg Lake. Quite how such an innovative and accomplished work was allowed to drift away is beyond us. Maybe it was merely poor timing to be released as an early '70s time slot for a progressive rock LP was amongst the richest in its history. Sadly, whereas many of their contemporaries went on to produce a wealth of work, Morgan dipped below the surface after only a couple of albums, Nova Solis their best. In hindsight their pedigree was obvious. Vocalist Tim Staffell had been with future Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor in Smile. When he left to be replaced by a certain Freddie Mercury the rest, as they say, is history. Morgan Fisher had been the keyboard player in The Love Affair, who had a number one hit in 1968 with “Everlasting Love”, released whilst he was on a break from the band. Morgan, formed in 1971, continued in the direction that the now defunct, and renamed L.A. had been heading, away from poprock, and towards the world of keyboard rich, experimental prog. It was a style inspired by the likes of The Nice and Emerson, Lake & Palmer. The band brought together the talents of Staffell, bass player Bob Sapsed, and fellow Love Affair drummer Mo Bacon. The material that became Nova Solis evolved and they soon became a frequent and popular feature at London’s legendary Marquee Club. The album was recorded at the RCA label’s studio in Rome where they, all but, took up residence and utilised the cutting edge technology available. The resulting album represents an incredible achievement by anyone’s standards. Nova Solis consists of four pieces, the vivid opener “Samarkhand The Golden”, “Alone”, “War Games”, and the nine part epic “Nova Solis”. The concept for the latter was centred on an astronaut who whilst journeying through space sees the planet Earth’s destruction. It opens, and closes, fittingly with interpretations from The Planet Suite by Gustav Holst and continues its journey, through “Floating” and the majestic “Earth”, revealing the compelling story along the way. Unfortunately, the album found itself cast adrift without a budget sufficient to do it proper justice, a fact reflected in the sales. Subsequently, it has become a sought after, hard to find collector’s piece. Part of the magic of this recording lay within the lyrics. Any album that can paint an instant picture as vividly as this, in its first line, simply has to be heard. “Desert sun, scald the sky, scorch the land, bake the desert dry”, opens the imagination to “Samarkhand The Golden”, a near ever present in their live set. It's an evocative track during which the central character finds himself alone and lost in the desert. It's powerful stuff. Nova Solis is a complex work that successfully resists the temptation to become overblown or even pompous. The musicianship, and brave readiness to push technical boundaries, make it an important addition to those who appreciate the history of progressive rock music. Meanwhile the bands individual qualities produced some excellent moments. For example Tim Staffell’s vocals were never better than on the lovely “Alone”. His lyrics on “War Games” address the age old question of war in the name of religion, surely a contradiction in terms. Of course, all this leads to the epic triumph that is “Nova Solis” which filled the second side on the original vinyl release. Incidentally the opening Holst theme was also used by Morgan Fisher’s next band Mott The Hoople. A second album The Sleeper Wakes recorded in 1973 was destined to remain on the shelf before finally seeing the light of day in 1977. By then Morgan were no more.

Morgan Fisher - keyboards

Tim Staffell - , acoustic guitar

Bob Sapsed - fretless bass

Maurice Bacon - drumss, percussion

                                                                                                    SIDE A:

• "Samarkhand the Golden" - 8:05
• "Alone" - 5:20
• "War Games" - 7:05
• SIDE B:
• "Nova Solis" - 20:24

CONDITION: The Cover: The thin fragile cover is collection worthy near M- and looks quite nice ... no significant problems, no bends, no writing, no split seams

The Vinyl: Very clean and clear all over, M- top copy ...plays fantastic without problems and has clean labels 

      A cool addition to anyone's music library!

SEE: SELLERS OTher items for similar cool sounds for "head" people...

EFFICIENT/CAREFUL GRADING

All imperfections are noted both cover & record